Automatic regulating means for furnaces.



' "ATBNTBD JULY 110, 190e.

.A F. E. ROAGH. AUTOMATIC REGULATING MEANS FOR FURNAGBS.`

I APPLIUATIONTILED SEPT. 29.-'.1'804.

3 SHiEETS--SHEETL lPJENTED JULY l0, 1.906.

- F. E. ROACH.

AUTOMATIC REGULATING MEANS POR PURNAGBS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-,29. 1904.

` sLsHEBTs-SBET 2,

No. 825,615. PAT-ENTED JULY l0, 1906.

P. E. ROAGH.

ATOMATIG REGULATING MEANS POR FURNAGES.

, APPLIOATION Pump smyze, 1904.

S'SHEETS-SHBET 34 narran STATES PATENTV OFFICE.l

FINIS E. ROACH,` OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

AUTOMATIC REGULATINGMEANS l-'on FunNAoes.

Patented .Iu1y 10, 1906.

Application iled September 29, 1904. Serial No. 226,449.

Y thereon. I,

`7IIiis'iinvention relates to automatic regulating means for furnaces,and more particularly to means for automatically regulating andcontrolling the intensity and duration of the heat of the furnace.

With many kinds of furnaces it is desirable to gradually increase theheat to a maximum temperature, at which the furnace is held for a periodof time dependent upon the use to' which the furnace isto be put andafterward to shut off the heat to ermit the vfurnace to cool. Variousforms o furnaces are used in this manner, and heretofore with dentalfurnaces the operator applies the heat gradually-as, for instance, inbaking porcelain-.- until the proper temperature is secured and to whichthe porcelain is subjected for one or more minutes, after which thefurnace is allowed to partially cool and the bake is removed. During theentire period the operator mustgi've constant attention to the operationof the furnace and the condition of the ed being ruined.

material to be treated therein, and failure to promptly reducefthe heatof the furnace or remove the article at the proper moment results in theporcelain or other material treatto. provide mechanism adapted to besetto a given time and acting to regulate and control the furnaceperfectly, thus dispensing with the care and attendance ofthe operator.

The invention is shown embodied in connection with 4a dents! furnace,though'obviously it may be employed with furnaces or heating means ofany klnd or character.

The inventionconsists in the matters here- Y inafter described, and morefully pointed out and dened in the appendedclaims. .i

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a' top plan` view of a dental furnaceprovided with regulating and controllingvmeans embodying my lln'vention.Fig. 3 is a front elevation 'of a hydrocarbon or gas furnace provided:with controlling means embodying my invention'. Fig. 4 is a top planview of the same. elevation, partly broken, of an electrical furnace,showing a slightly-modified controlling mechanism. Fig. 6 is a similarAview showing electricallyperated means for releasing the actuatingmeans.

As shown in said kind, the heat of which is increased or diminished inthe usual manner by a rheostat, thecontact-leve'r of which is indicated'by B and extends for some distance beyond the contact-points b b b2 onthe base a of the furnace and upon which is engaged a spring b, whichacts to draw said; contact-lever normally out of engagement with saidcontacts and u on a neutral support b", also secured on saifurnace-base. a slab A', of any .suitable material, upon which is :aclock or other timing device C, which may be of an desired constructionor form.. and upon W 'ch in the resent in- Fig. 2 is a front elevationof the same.

Fig. 5 is a front A drawings, referring to f i Figs. 1 and 2, Aindicates an electrical fur- 15 nacesuch as used by dentists or anypreferred I g Said furnace-base is secured -on stance is a minute-handC. Rigidly secured cured upon theshaft` or said minute-hand on thes'ideopposite the furnace and is movable with said hand, but adjustable withrespect thereto by means of ,said pin c. The radius of said se ment issuch as to permit the contact-lever to rest upon the first con- ....5tact-point b, as shown in Fig. 1, when the exlisa rim. c to aneutralposition. immediately cuts :nace cools. It is that said rheostat-leverthen ,rests upon the moves sufficiently to beneath'the end ofthelev'erBthe :lever under .the influence ofthe/spring into said notch orstep,

which is so positioned contact b thusgradu'ally incre ofthe funace u irilnor flange c" on the plate c, at whic i time i said lever enga es thecontact b2, affording the maximum ieat of the' 1 furnace, an remains ensaid contact until `rthe minute-hand asingthe heat Vpermit-theend of thelepast the end of said flaiigeor -lThis of course` 'off the current andthe fur-y ldesirable that tht'v heating of the furnace be' timed fromthe moment a ver-'to be drawn certain standard "internal". temperatureis reached; y I l L 'means are providedfor startingy timing- 2554 o-tedon a standardfd on thebase a of the fur- .the temp :'theftiming of said'said tube or .passage X15.' When the a temperature "l theescapenient-lever d "thelevend of the escapement 'f its movement in. onedirection. .other endi of said lever rovided a small receptacle or cupd, which for' other refractory metal.

'maining contacts, as before j held constant thermostatic the clockorlever D `is pivl vFor this' purposedevice. AAs shown, a

nace and rojects inwardly through the case i of tire cloc l:intoposition to engage theend of 'D at the' limit,4 AAt thel beneath thefurnace is.

vertical passage d", side Yof the furnace, of platinumpositioned.,-beneathv Aa extending through the' and into which-,projectsa pin d5 In 'operating saidv device a pellet 'of metal d, having afusingepoint corresponding with erature at which itfis desired to startfurnace, is dropped into and rests upon said pin he at of the furnacehas reached to melt said ellet, the metal drops through into thc cup l,overbalancingvthe lever and releasing the escapenient. The heat is thensuccessively increase as the engages theredescribed, and is at themaximum temperature of the furnace for a'length of time dependent upon'the 'adjustment' of the minutehand.y I 1 he construction shown in Fig.

`rheos-tatlever wsuceessivel y `5 is sub 'stantially identicalv withthat indicated in with the exceptiorithat the tiinino mechanism or clockis shown in 'an it position instead of horizontally and uprig' v is heldfrom movementb'y means Aof 'a' lever d?, pivoted on the v sideVaf-fthe'cloclnfraine or rodd,

Y i 'This lever is connected by'mean'siof "ai springdvvitli a Wire A oneend of Which projects into the tube d4 of the furnaceA and engages upona b3 is' drawn j til said'lever end engaoes the lhook or projection ditherein and is released therefrom when the heat of the fui'- nacebecomes4 sufiicientto melt or soften the Y. end/of s'aid'ifire or rod.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 6

the furnace and clock are constructed as shown in Fig. 5, and, as shown,an electronia l net E is supported on the frame of the cloc and thearmature e thereof is rovided with a spring e', which normally ho ds thesame in position to engage a lever d of the escapenient atv one limit`\of its movement. shown, .a cup e* isprovidedbeiieath the tube d4 at theside of the furnace and adapted to receive the melted metal therefrom,which completes the circuity of the batteryr E through contacts e2 e3,which project above the cup so that the magnet acts to draw the armatureout of engagement with the escape- )nent-lever d, permitting the clockto start.

inthe gas orhydrocarbon furnace illustrated iii Figs. 3 and Ll thefurnace maybe of any desired type. As shown, it comprises a' inufile,A2, provide with a burner of any desiredtype, to which hydrocarbonfluid is admitted through.' a valve F. A lever f is secured tothevalvc-stemf?, and a spiral spring f engages said lever and a fixed partof the device and actsu'hen the lever is released to closf`'gliefvalve.y :The end of said leverfwhen the valve' is 'fully open isengaged beneath .the shorter end 0f the lever if', the other extremityof yihich 'when in 'operative position rests on the periphery' of asegment C2, carried on the minute-hand C3 of the clock. This kclock isstarted by any suitable therinostatic means. As shown, however7 a pelletof metal d, such as before described, is nielted and in falling"actuates the releasing-lever D. The valve remains in an open positionuntil the ,end of the lever F is released from the se ment, after lwhichthe valve is immediatey closed by the action of said spring f. Shoulditbe desiredthe heat may be gradually increased toy a maxiinzini in thehydrocarbon;

furnace as well as the electric, and for this purpose a cam C* ispivoted concentrically with the segment and is provided with a setscrewv10., whereby the same can he adjusted to the desired point on thesegment for operating the valve. Said cam7 shown, isprovidedfwithaninclined outer face which terminates at the front edgethereof and the peripheryv of the segment: ln setting the instrument thecam C" is adjusted with the point of the same on the periphery corre-vsponding with the nuinber of minutes it is de- 'sired the furnace tooperate at maximum heat. When the pellet of metal meltsand dropsv intothe receptacle or cup d, carried on the lever D as before described,.the escaieinent isliberated, and the end of the lever Which is sprunglaterally into engagement with ythe cam C4, is elevated by said camgradually until reaching the-periphery of the segment it engagesthereon. The upward movement of the endof the lever F forces thevalve-lever f downwardly and opens the valve to its greatest extent andholding the valve fully open until the lever slips from the end of thesegment, whereupon the valve immediately is closed by the action of thespring. l

The operation is as above set forth in any of the constructionsdescribed. When the furnace becomes heated sufficiently to operate thethermostat, the clock which has previously been adjusted 4to operate forthe length4 of time it is desired to apply heat to the object treated isstarted. g The heat may be progressively increased, decreased, or mayremain constant, dependent on the shape of the segments, until shut offby the movement of the timing means, releasing the controllingl .,lever.

I device Vmay be used. So,

Obviously any desired or suitable means may be employed for starting theclock at the desired temperature of the furnace and any desired orsuitable timing mechanism' or too, regulating mechanism embodying myinvention may be', applied to furnaces and heating means of any` desiredtype or preferred construction adaptable to any desired purposes, Itherefore do not purpose limiting this application for patent otherwisethan as necessitated b the prior art, as obviously many details oconstruction and application may be varied without departing from theprinciples of my invention.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination with heating means of timingmechanism connected therewith, means acting normally to lock the timingmechanism from movement, thermostatic means acting to releasesaid lockat ap'redetermined temperature and means acting to successively increasethe heat to a predetermined temperature and then cut it off.

2. The combination with heating means of timing. mechanism controlled`thereby, adjustable means, acting normally to lock the timing mechanismfrom movement, means acting to release the same at a-predeterminedtemperature and start the timing mechanism, a controlling-lever on theheating means and a segment onl the timing mechanism acting to operatesaid lever to re ulate the heat.

3. The combination wit heating means of timing mechanism connectedtherewith, locking moans acting nqrmally to prevent the timing mechanismfrom movement, thermostatic means acting to release said lock at apredetermined temperature, means acting to combination with Va furnaceof athermostatically-released clock-connected. therewith, a

`heat-controlling lever on said furnace and to operate said lemeans onthe clock acting the furnace at sucver to increase the heat ocessiveintervals.

5. In a device of the class described the combination with a furnace ofa clock connected therewith, a pivoted lever normally engaging theescapement of the clock to prevent the clock from movement, fusiblemeans carried on the furnace and ada ted to operate the lever at apredeterminedp temperature and start the clock, an operating-lever onthe furnace andmeans on the clock acting to successively operate saidlever to increase the heat of the furnace.

6. The combination with a furnace of a clock connected therewith, anadjustably- Wei hted lever adapted tov normally lock the cloc frommovement, thermostatically-operated means acting to raise said lever andstart the clock, a controllin -lever on the furnace, a segment operatedy the clock and adapted to permit the controlling-lever to successivelymove to increase the heat and means for shutting 0H the heat at thelimit of movement of said lever.

7. In a device of the class described the combination with a furnace ofa clock connected therewith, a lever.l adapted to normally hold theclock from movement, fusible means carried in the furnace, a sprinconnecting the same with said lever an adapted at a predeterminedtemperature to start the clock, an operative lever on the furnace, anotched segment on the clock in engagement with the operating-lever anda spring acting to successivel draw said lever into the notches insaidysegment and increase the heat of the furnace. 'i

8. The combination with a furnace,of a.

heat-regulating lever. thereon,I any escapement',.clock mechanism, asegment thereon movable with a hand thereof and against which said leverrests in starting the furnace, means normal] locking the escapement frommovement andy a thermostat acting at a predetermined heat to releasesaid escapement.

9. The combination with a furnace -of the class described, of mechanismconnected therewith, thermostatically acting to limit the o eration ofthe furnace to a predeterminev intervalvof time and coacting means onsaid furnace and timing mechanism whereby said mechanism acts togradually increase the degree of heat froman initial lower temperatureat which the timing mech- IIO *enisrn startsv to a' predetermined higherteinprrature. Y

Into engage seid contacts and means orshift- Y y v ing the lever to(successive contacts and act 10; In a devicel ofthe class described the'ng to' successively increase the temperature.

'f eomb'naticn'withaurnece of etirning-niech- `In Witness whereof I'havehereunto subto normally loclc the timing -meclm-nisni frein AanismAconnected therewitln means adapted scribed in v name in the presence oftwo subi 5 's'cribing witnesses. Y Y v movement thermostatcellyoperzrtedmeans l 'Y AVFINIS E; ROACL v`etfrr1g` to release said lock at apredetermined Witnesses: temperature, aplurality of electric contacts, lW. W. WITHENBURY, ro 'enl operatinglever/on/ seid furnace adapted '1 H.S. RUDD.

